Of course, Zhi Li could not force the nobles and aristocrats to declare their stance, so he had Tu Li Yang take the lead.
If no one declared their stance, then although Zhi Li would be displeased at heart, there was nothing he could do about it.
But if some declared their intention to ban Suo Lun while others did not, then they would thoroughly offend Zhi Li.
Before attending Zhi Li’s wedding, many nobles and aristocrats had anticipated that they might face the need to choose sides.
Choosing sides was nothing extraordinary. Who could not thump their chest and pledge allegiance to Zhi Li? But they had not expected that they would not only need to declare their stance, but also need to thoroughly offend Suo Lun to the point of death.
This made things difficult for everyone. Suo Lun was so ferocious. If you offended him today, and tomorrow he truly defeated Zhi Li and became the Regent Prince, with his vindictive nature, trouble would come for all of them.
Therefore, on such a major matter as banning Suo Lun, everyone truly needed to be cautious beyond measure.
Thus, after Tu Li Yang was the first to speak, the nobles and aristocrats present temporarily lost their voices, falling into an awkward silence.
Although Suo Lun’s situation at this moment was not very favourable, facing the blockade and pursuit of Yan Mo’s great army, how many miracles had he created? How many times had he defeated the strong with the weak?
What if you declared your stance to ban Suo Lun today, and in a few days he won the great battle against Yan Mo? How would the nobles and aristocrats present feel then?
Tu Li Yang could easily offend Suo Lun, but the other nobles could not.
Zhi Li had not expected that the nobles and aristocrats present feared Suo Lun as though he were a tiger. His face immediately darkened.
However, just at this moment, Marquis Fu E suddenly rose and said, “I second the motion. I formally declare economic sanctions against Suo Lun on behalf of Fire Worship City. From this day forth, not a single grain of salt or magic mirror of the Suo clan shall enter the territory of my Fire Worship City!”
At these words, an uproar erupted in the hall.
Fire Worship City, the second greatest noble in the realm, and moreover Suo Lun’s in-laws by marriage. Marquis Fu E was Suo Lun’s own maternal grandfather.
Without doubt, the declaration of Marquis Fu E of Fire Worship City completely broke this awkward deadlock.
Zhi Li suddenly said, “Oh yes, tonight I am also honoured to have invited a noble and graceful lady as my wedding officiant, that is Lady Fu Ling Xi, Inquisitor of the Zhi Du Tribunal!”
Instantly, a fragrance drifted over. The incomparably beautiful, noble, and graceful Fu Ling Xi, in a white dress, entered with measured steps.
All the aristocrats in the hall were thoroughly shocked!
And the officiant of this wedding was actually Fu Ling Xi, Suo Lun’s own mother!
Was she not already dead? How was she still alive, and had become an Inquisitor of the Zhi Du Tribunal?
And most crucially, Fu Ling Xi was Suo Lun’s biological mother. Why was she standing on Zhi Li’s side?
Her coming to officiate Zhi Li’s wedding had already completely expressed her stance, a stance hostile to Suo Lun.
Even his own biological mother had abandoned Suo Lun. Did this represent a tremendous shift in the wind? Did it mean that Suo Lun was truly finished?
Instantly, the nobles and aristocrats present began to stir.
Duke Tu Ling Tuo rose to his full height and said, “Here, I also formally declare. The Northern and Southern Legions of the Fury Wave Kingdom, and the Dragon Guard Legion, shall not purchase a single grain of salt or magic mirror from Suo Lun. The Fury Wave Kingdom military shall thoroughly ban Suo Lun.”
At this time, Zhi Li’s gaze turned toward Prime Minister Yan Wu Ji. Although his face bore a smile, his eyes were cold.
Ever since Yan Wu Zhi led the civil official group of the Southeast Province to pledge thorough allegiance to Suo Lun, Prime Minister Yan Wu Ji had made no declaration whatsoever, which made Zhi Li extremely dissatisfied.
Seeing Zhi Li’s gaze, Prime Minister Yan Wu Ji also hurriedly rose and said, “My younger brother Yan Wu Zhi is a coward who fears death, treating a thief as his father, and has actually pledged allegiance to the traitor Suo Lun. Here I formally declare that Yan Wu Zhi is expelled from the Yan clan. All civil officials of the Southeast Province are expelled from the Yan Party. And from this day forth, all counties and commanderies where Yan Party officials serve shall thoroughly ban Suo Lun, not allowing a single grain of salt or magic mirror of Suo Lun’s to flow in.”
Seeing this spectacle, finally two nobles could sit still no longer and immediately rose.
These two were respectively the two nobles of the Southeast Province, the Lord of Iron Wood City, and the Lord of Qi Chi City.
On the day when Suo Lun ordered all officials of the Southeast Province to come to the Governor’s Mansion to pay their respects to him, these two city lords had not come. Although Suo Lun was furious at heart, they were after all nobles of the kingdom, and he was powerless.
Now, at Zhi Li’s grand wedding, these two had also arrived at the scene.
Toward Suo Lun, they felt fear, hatred, and also jealousy.
The so-called jealousy was because originally they were all nobles. Although your Tianshui City was much larger, your noble rank was not much higher than theirs. But now, on what basis had Suo Lun become Governor of the Southeast Province riding above their heads, and moreover been enfeoffed as a marquis, and was to be enfeoffed as Regent in the future? On what basis?
However, when Tu Li Yang declared his stance, these two nobles had not stood up, because they dared not.
After all, their territories were within the Southeast Province. To thoroughly offend Suo Lun would make things very ugly for them.
But they had not expected that subsequently, Fire Worship City, Tu Ling Tuo, and Prime Minister Yan Wu Ji, these three giants, would successively declare their intention to ban Suo Lun.
Thus, these two also hurriedly rose to declare their stance. They still hoped that Zhi Li could dispatch troops to drive Suo Lun away. With Suo Lun’s great army surrounding them on all sides, these two nobles truly felt as though thorns were pressed against their backs.
After these two nobles rose to declare their stance, the situation in the hall was completely broken!
“I formally declare on behalf of Mo Luo City that we ban Suo Lun. From this day forth, not a single grain of salt or magic mirror of Suo Lun’s shall enter my territory.”
“I formally declare on behalf of Ning Ya City that we ban Suo Lun. From this day forth, not a single grain of salt or magic mirror of Suo Lun’s shall enter my territory.”
All the nobles present rose one after another to declare their stance to ban Suo Lun and pledge allegiance to Zhi Li.
Without doubt, the declarations of Marquis Fu E of Fire Worship City, and Suo Lun’s own mother Fu Ling Xi, were the most crucial, directly influencing the other nobles and aristocrats.
After all, these two were Suo Lun’s blood relatives.
In the end, apart from Rou Ran City and Lin Hai City, all nineteen noble houses of the entire Fury Wave Kingdom declared their stance, thoroughly banning Suo Lun.
Next, the governors of each province, and the magistrates of each commandery rose to declare their stance, pledging allegiance to Zhi Li and thoroughly banning Suo Lun!
In a mere half hour or so, all nobles, nobles, governors, magistrates, generals, and civil officials representing the entire force of the Fury Wave Kingdom declared their stance, supporting Zhi Li and banning Suo Lun.
From this point, Suo Lun lost the entire market of the Fury Wave Kingdom.
Because of Yan Mo’s blockade, he had already lost all maritime trade, losing sixty percent of his income.
And now, facing the thorough ban of the entire Fury Wave Kingdom, he would lose another two and a half tenths of his income.
If this situation were not reversed, Suo Lun’s monthly economic income would be reduced to merely one and a half tenths, falling from over a hundred thousand gold coins to a mere twenty thousand.
Of course, this figure was still considerable for other nobles. But for Suo Lun, twenty thousand gold coins would barely suffice to maintain the military expenses of his hundred thousand plus troops.
His hundred thousand plus troops did not pledge allegiance to Suo Lun because of any noble sentiment, but because following Suo Lun meant generous pay and the ability to live good lives.
Once the money was gone, his hundred thousand plus troops would disintegrate, and the situation in the Southeast Province would collapse.
If things truly reached this point, let alone defeating Zhi Li, even whether the Suo clan and Zhi Yan could survive would be in question.
…
The most important choosing of sides and declarations of stance had been completed, and Zhi Li was truly filled with satisfaction and ambition.
Originally, the nobles and aristocrats of the realm had wavered and hedged, making Zhi Li unable to sleep at night. Now this situation had been thoroughly reversed and changed.
He had once again driven Suo Lun into a desperate situation. And this time, it would be difficult for Suo Lun to escape.
And what Zhi Li had paid was merely a secret pact with Yan Mo. In this pact, although he had paid enormous interests, these interests did not need to be given by him, but rather by the Suo clan and the Hai clan of Ying Zhou Island.
Yan Mo was a man who would not rise early without profit. Without heaven-defying interests, how would he have made such a grand show of attacking Suo Lun?
But thinking of Yan Mo, Zhi Li was also filled with hatred. This man’s greed was unprecedented. He wanted not only Suo Lun’s Chaotic Rock Salt Fields and magic mirror industry, but also to seize the entire territory of Tianshui City and Lin Hai City.
Zhi Li naturally would not allow such an ambitious man to touch the mainland.
Thus Yan Mo proposed that if Zhi Li wanted to reclaim Tianshui City and Lin Hai City, he must exchange them for Ying Zhou Island. In the future, when Yan Mo attacked Ying Zhou Island, Zhi Li would need to dispatch at least a hundred thousand troops to assist.
These terms were all written into the secret pact, personally signed and sealed by Zhi Li.
It was precisely because of such heaven-defying interests that Yan Mo risked the great condemnation of the world to actively attack Suo Lun, who was at the height of his power.
In fact, Zhi Li had been blackmailed by Yan Mo.
Yan Mo knew that Suo Lun would certainly seek revenge. He had offended Suo Lun twice before. Once Suo Lun thoroughly grasped the Fury Wave Kingdom, he would certainly retaliate against him.
The enemy of one’s enemy is an ally. The alliance between Yan Mo and Zhi Li was struck at the first meeting.
And to eliminate Suo Lun, naturally one must strike when he was at his weakest.
At that time, Suo Lun had just experienced the second campaign to destroy Suo, and had not yet had time to reorganise and recuperate. It was precisely his weakest moment.
Yan Mo acted decisively, immediately hijacking Suo Lun’s merchant caravans, and assembling a hundred thousand naval troops to blockade Suo Lun’s maritime trade.
Not only that, he immediately opened hostilities, seeking to thoroughly eliminate Suo Lun’s navy and capture all his maritime industries and coastal industries in one net.
Eliminating Suo Lun was originally Yan Mo’s plan, and Zhi Li just happened to approach him with a request. Yan Mo naturally opened his mouth like a lion.
And偏偏 Zhi Li sold his grandfather’s fields without heartache, making generous gestures at others’ expense, agreeing to Yan Mo’s blackmail.
Even the non-killing order for Yan Mo from the Dark Society had been bought by Zhi Li with money, serving as a meeting gift before negotiations with Yan Mo.
The reason Yan Mo scheduled the naval battle for a few days later was that, apart from his hundred thousand naval troops needing pre-battle drills and supply allocation, more importantly it was to coordinate with Zhi Li’s wedding and coordinate with the thorough choosing of sides by the nobles of the realm.
And when the entire Fury Wave Kingdom thoroughly banned Suo Lun, the morale of Suo Lun’s navy would sink to its lowest point. At that time, opening battle, Yan Mo felt it would be more advantageous.
Through a secret pact with Yan Mo, and then through a wedding, Zhi Li not only reversed his previously unfavourable situation, but once again drove Suo Lun into a desperate situation.
“Suo Lun, I know you have already prepared for defeat at sea, and have already begun withdrawing many industries inland, and tightening your finances to enter a defensive state. But you cannot retreat even if you want to,” Zhi Li thought to himself. “This time, I want you dead!”
Yan Mo’s maritime blockade of Suo Lun, and the elimination of Suo Lun’s navy, was merely the beginning.
The next step was for the Fury Wave Kingdom to thoroughly ban Suo Lun economically.
One must know that Suo Lun now faced the crucial moment of reorganising his great army. Once his finances were cut off, the Southeast Province and Tianshui City would both fall into chaos.
At that time, Zhi Li would begin the third step, dispatching great armies to take advantage of the void, while Yan Mo’s great army would also land from the sea. The two great armies would attack from east and west, thoroughly annihilating Suo Lun and ultimately achieving decisive victory.
Currently, the first and second steps had both proceeded very smoothly!
Now, they were merely waiting for Yan Mo’s hundred thousand naval troops to thoroughly send all of Suo Lun’s maritime forces into hell.
…
Next, next came the most important moment, the wedding ceremony!
Originally, the two types of weddings brought by the Dragon Emperor were both very simple and festive. Whether it was the bowing ceremony or the church wedding, both were simple and warm.
But Zhi Li and Tu Ling Mo were conducting a Dragon Temple faith wedding! Officiated by Fu Ling Xi, witnessed by Grand Inquisitor Luo Ge and High Priest Ge Li.
The entire ceremony, to put it nicely, was incomparably sacred and solemn.
To put it bluntly, it was incomparably dull and lengthy, completely making one drowsy.
The entire wedding was completely an expression of reverence for the Dragon God and piety toward power, without the slightest festive atmosphere.
Even the music seemed bitter and resentful, as though it wanted people to be constantly edified by the Dragon Temple.
The guests present truly wanted to fall asleep, but in this scene who dared to be disrespectful? Even the slightest loss of composure would be a thorough offence to the Dragon Temple. Offending the Dragon Temple in such a setting, regardless of how high one’s status, would result in arrest for anti-Dragon faith, and being burned alive would be the lightest punishment.
After a full hour and a half of ceremony, even Zhi Li himself could barely endure.
But his heart was still very excited, because the Dragon Temple had given his wedding the specifications of a kingdom crown prince level. This represented Ge Li and Luo Ge publicly declaring their support for him to become the Crown Prince of the Fury Wave Kingdom.
One must know, he currently held only the nominal title of young lord.
After an hour and a half, the wedding finally ended!
Then, tonight’s bride Tu Ling Mo was sent into the bridal chamber to await.
As the supreme guests of honour tonight, Luo Ge and Ge Li immediately returned to the Dragon Temple after the ceremony ended. They could not possibly stay for the banquet. Zhi Li personally escorted them out of the young lord mansion, extremely respectfully holding their hands as he sent them into their carriage.
And as the representative of the Dragon Temple, Lady Fu Ling Xi stayed for the banquet, sitting at the head table together with her father Marquis Fu E.
After the two supreme guests departed, Zhi Li became the person of highest status.
After toasting the distinguished guests Tu Ling Tuo, Fu E, Fu Ling Xi, Yan Wu Ji, and others, and sitting for a quarter hour more, he rose and departed.
Because tonight he was the groom, and was going to enjoy the wedding night.
Moreover, what he would enjoy tonight was not merely one bride, but also the bride’s elder sister Tu Ling Duo, killing two birds with one stone, a pair of sisters!
“Tu Li Yang, from here on you shall represent me and entertain all the distinguished guests well. You must not return until thoroughly drunk, understand?” Zhi Li said affectionately, patting Tu Li Yang’s shoulder.
Instantly, Tu Li Yang felt overwhelmed by favour, his face flushing red with excitement as he nodded, “Yes, Lord Zhi Li!”
Zhi Li’s attitude fully expressed his regard for Tu Li Yang, and the nobles and aristocrats present showed expressions of envy. Only Tu Ling Tuo quickly flashed a hint of mockery and pity.
After Zhi Li departed for the bridal chamber, Tu Li Yang indeed acted as half a host, urging the distinguished guests at the table to drink their wine.
And after Duke Tu Ling Tuo sat for a few minutes, he also took his leave. His status was elevated, and he was Zhi Li’s father-in-law, so naturally he could come and go as he pleased.
After he departed, Tu Li Yang became even more unrestrained.
“Lady Fu Ling Xi, this cup I toast to you. Although you are Suo Lun’s own mother, you were able to uphold justice at the critical moment, placing righteousness above family ties. I am incomparably admiring,” Tu Li Yang said, raising his cup.
At these words, the incomparably beautiful face of Fu Ling Xi momentarily lost its composure, then she smiled lightly, raising her cup and taking a small sip.
Tu Li Yang then raised his cup toward Marquis Fu E and said, “Lord Marquis, you and I are both nobles, and you are my elder. Suo Lun is a wolf with savage ambition, utterly devoid of conscience. As future pillars of the nobles for Lord Zhi Li, we must certainly share information and advance and retreat together.”
Marquis Fu E smiled and drained his cup in one go.
Tu Li Yang was somewhat drunk, somewhat getting carried away. These were not words he should speak. His father, Lord Tu Li Wen of the city, would be about the right stature to say them.
Tu Li Yang then raised his cup toward Prime Minister Yan Wu Ji and said, “Lord Prime Minister, Suo Lun’s destruction can be expected at any moment. When that day comes, your younger brother Yan Wu Zhi will certainly be in unbearable anguish, filled with regret.”
Prime Minister Yan Wu Ji’s face twitched slightly, then he raised his cup and drank.
Soon, the wine on the table was finished, and Tu Li Yang beckoned, “More wine!”
Instantly, a beautiful maid stepped forward and handed the wine jug to Tu Li Yang.
Tu Li Yang took it, then felt a start in his heart, because there was an extra slip of paper in his hand.
As he continued drinking, he opened his palm and looked at the words on the slip.
“In the bridal chamber, your wife Tu Ling Duo is currently committing adultery with Zhi Li. Hurry there now, and you will catch them in the act.”
Seeing the words on the slip, Tu Li Yang’s drunkenness instantly vanished without a trace. He only felt his entire body turn ice cold, as though struck by lightning!